Combined expander and oil check for piston rings



Get. 14, 1952 I 5, 5, SLYK 2,614,010

COMBINED EXPANDEIR MID OIL CHECK FOR PISTON RINGS Filed Oct. 6, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Z A 7 2? P INVENTOR.

Y amz gag a Oct. 14, 1952 s. s. SLYK ,51

COMBINED EXPANDER AND OIL CHECK FOR PISTON RINGS Filed 001;. e. 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Get. 14, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

COMBINED EXPANDER AND OIL CHECK FOR PISTON RINGS Stanley s.-s1yk, Chicago, 111.

Application October 6, 1948, Serial No. 3,055

14 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in combined expander and oi1 check for piston rings.

More particularly, the present invention relates to means for minimizing the leakage of oil past the piston of an internal combustion motor and for minimizing the loss of compression in said motor. The piston of an' internal combustion motor is ordinarily provided with piston rings, one or more of which are commonly designed to minimize the leakage of oil from the'crank case into the cylinder.

This application is a continuation in part of application, Serial No. 648,413, filed February 18, 1946, by the present applicant.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved oil check adapted to co-operate with a piston ring to minimize the leakage of oil past the said piston ring and to minimize loss of compression.

A further object is to provide improved means adapted to be located inwardly of a piston ring and having the triple function of minimizing the flow of oil past said piston ring, of biasing said piston ring outwardly against the cylinder wall and of minimizing loss of compression.

A further object is to provide an improved oil check adapted to be associated with a piston ring in the internal combustion motor which oil check is eifective in operation, though simple and sturdy in construction.

A further object is to provide an improved oil check adapted to be used in combination with a piston ring which may be readily inserted into the piston ring groove and which in service is effective in checking the leakage of oil past the said piston ring.

A further object is to provide a resilient oil check adapted to be located readily within a piston ring groove but which, in service, will resiliently contact the walls of said groove which are disposed inright angular relationship with the axis of movement of the corresponding piston and will check the passage of oil and loss of compression past the ring in said groove.

A further object is to provide an improved oil check which is simple and sturdy in construction, is easy to install, and well adapted to meet the needs of ordinary service.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation showing a. piston located within a cylinder wall, which piston may be provided with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the structure shown in Figurel illustrating one embodiment of the present invention located therein;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 2 Figure 4 is a view in side elevationof the struc-' ture illustrated in Figure 3 trating a structure having a narrower opening for the passage of oil;

Figure 6 is a view similar-to Figure 3, but'illustratingaslight modification; v Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 2, but illustrating another modification; I Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2,'butil1ustrating a further modified embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a top plan view 'ofthe structure illustrated in Figure 8; I

Figure 10 is a ViGW in side elevation of the structure illustrated in Figure 9; j I

Figure 11 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 9 and 7 Figure 12 is. a fragmentary View ofa slight modification takenin the direction ofthe arrows i2l 2 of Figure9.

The numeral 10 indicates a" cylinder wall. Mounted for reciprocation within said cylinder wall is the piston H, which piston may beproe vided with a plurality of circumferential grooves for the reception of piston rings. For the purpose of convenience in the description of the present invention, the axis ofreciprocation of the piston ll will be considered to be vertical though it will be understood, of course, that this axis may be at any angle in relation to the vertical. A groove adapted to receive a piston ring is indicated by the numeral l2. Said groove l2 has the outwardly facing circumferential wall l3 (which will be referred tdaslthe groove bottom wall) bounded by the groove upper wall it and the groove lower wall I5. The walls Id and I5, each being in one plane, willbe referred to herein as diametrical walls. Within said groove [2 is located the piston ring it which, according to usual practice, is split in its perimeter and is provided with the lap joint ll. In practice, there is commonly a certain amount of play of the piston ring it in the groove I2 in a direction axially of the piston. In a motor in whichthe cylinder wall is true and cylindrical there will be no appreciable movement of the piston ring ina radial direction. However, as the 'cylinder wall wears in service, it becomes conical in shape.,'being larger toward the combustion chamber, that is,

toward the top as the parts are viewed in Figure 1. Accordingly, in a worn motor there is a reciprocating action of the piston ring IS in a radial direction, it being noted that the piston ring, being split, is biased outwardly by its own resiliency. Moreover, the piston ring, according to common practice, Will be urged outwardly in a radial direction by an expander sprin Located between the wall I3 of the groove I2 and the piston ring IB is the combined expander and oil check I8 which embodies the principles of the present invention and which, for purposes of convenience, will be referred to as an oil check. Said oil check, as illustrated in Figure 3, is in the form of a ring split in its perimeter. Said oil check embodies a peripheral approximately cylindrical wall biased radially outwardly against the inner surface of the corresponding piston ring I6.

Figure 2 represents the oil check I8 under conditions of service in which the upper and lower edges, designated I 9 and 20, respectively, are located in engagement with the groove upper wall I4 and the groove lower wall I5, respectively, of the groove I2. As the parts are illustrated .in Figure 2, the piston ring I6 is located in engagement with the lower wall I5' of the groove I2. The amount of play between the piston ring It in the groove I2 is shown exaggerated in Figure 2.

The oil check I8, in its biased or normal condition, should have an axial overall dimension such that said oil check I8 may be readily inserted into said groove. However, when the piston ring I6 is located in position in the groove I2 radially outwardly of the oil check I8, said oil check I8 will be distorted to reduce the radial dimension of the peripheral wall thereof which action will result in the lengthening of portions of said wall axially to cause the edges I9 and to engage firmly against the walls I4 and I5, respectively, of the groove I2. As noted hereinafter, the lower edge 20 preferably lies in a wavy line.

The function of the oil check I8, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, in expanding axially when its peripheral wall is reduced radially will result from the features which will now be described.

Referring to Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, the oil check I8 includes an approximately cylindrical portion 2|. The lower portion of the oil check I8 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced scallops 2222 connected by intervening circumferential portions 2323 which scallops 2222 are swedged inwardly toward the axis of the oil check I8. In other words, the scallops 2222 are offset from the approximately cylindrical portion 2|, being shown (in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5) as inclined to said cylindrical portion 2|, that is, inclined with respect to the axis of said cylindrical portion 2| or the axis of the piston II, and the lower extremities of the scallops 2222 are adapted to contact against the wall I3 of the corresponding groove. It will be noted that intermediate of the openings 24-24 are the approximately cylindrical portions 2525. It will be noted that in the structure illustrated in Figure 4 the approximately cylindrical portion 2|, the portions 2525, and the portions 2323 provide segments of a circle disposed intermediate of the openings 24--26. The radius of each scallop 22 at the bottom thereof is approximately equal to the radius of the cylindrical portion 2|. Ordinarily the entire oil check l8 will be made of resilient material. In

any case, the portion thereof below the openings.

24-24 should be resilient.

The width of the oil check axially thereof should be at least as great and preferably a little greater at the regions symmetrical with respect to the scallops 22 than at the portions 25. In other words, the axial dimension y--y in Figure 4 should preferably be as great as or greater than the axial dimension r-x.

Since the scallops 22--22 are inclined from the cylindrical portion 2| and since the overall height of the oil check at the regions of said scallops is the maximum height of said oil check, the result is that when said scallops are moved toward alignment with the cylindrical portion 2| there will be an increase in the vertical overall dimension or height of the oil check; that is, as the scallops 2222 are moved toward parallelism with the axis of the piston, the vertical dimension of the oil check at the regions symmetrical with said scallops is increased over the vertical dimension at the regions 23-25. Since the tendency is for the oil to pass up past the oil rings to the explosion side of the piston to the explosion chamber, the top edge 2| of the ring I8 should be in a single plane so that said edge 2| may fit closely against the groove wall It.

Expressed in still different words, the peripheral wall of the oil check I8, by reason of the inwardly inclined scallops 22-22 and by reason of the openings 2424, is collapsible in a radial direction, the height between the edges I9 and 20 will be increased depending upon the amount of this variation in radial dimension. No great exactness in the dimensions of the oil check I8 is necessary. The tight engagement between the top edge 2| of the oil check will minimize not only the seepage of oil but will minimize loss of compression as well.

The two ends of the oil check I8 are indicated by the numerals 2'6 and 21. When the oil check is in its normal or biased position, there will be a gap between these ends 26 and 2'1. When the piston II, with the oil check I8 and the piston ring it in place therein is mounted within the cylinder wall If), the ends 26 and 21 will approach each other more closely and in order to insure that said ends under these conditions will engage the inner wall of the piston ring I6, said ends will preferably be turned outwardly from the cylindrical surface of the portion 2| of the oil check. These outturned positions of the ends 26 and 21 are shown exaggerated in the drawings. Said ends and 27 will preferably be located between adjacent scallops 22-22.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, openings 2424 of a considerable dimension in a vertical direction have been illustrated. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, the vertical dimensions of these openings have been very considerably recluced. According to the structure illustrated in Figure 5, slits 29-29 perform the functions of the openings 24-44 of Figure 4. Said slits provide sufiicient openings for the passage of oil for many types of installation.

Preferably the slots 24-44 (Figures 2 and 4) and the slits 29 (Figure 5) will be symmetrically disposed along a circumferential line spaced from the upper edge IS, a distance about one-third of the height of the oil check I8.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6, the scallops 2222 are interrupted intermediate of their lengths to provide cantilever spring portions 30-39 which perform functions analogous to .those .of. the. uninterrupted scallops 22-422 in .envgagingthe wall::l 3;:of .the':groove [2 to cause: the -length'eningu'of F thGiOllf. check axially to force. the .upperandlower edges l9 and 2ll'intotengagement with the upper wall [4 andx-theil'ower: wall-.115 of thezgroove 12.

1 Accordingv rto .Ethe modification" illustrated in Figure .7, the. portions or scallops "of the toil check belowfthe .openings fld l may be approximately cylindrical inncontours, one of f these approxi- -mately cylindrical portionsror scallops-being indicated bythe numeral 3L Said scallops 31, near 'theslower edge thereof, may be provided with the outstruck bosses 32 adapted to engage the cylindrical wall I3 of the groove 1 l 2.

.' 'In the embodiment illustrated inFigure 7-;the

'scallops 3|,- being approximately cylindrical "(as contrasted with conical) ,will buckle slightly when the 'oil check is subjected itopressure in the space --between the groove walls 13, 14 and I and the inner surface of the-piston ring 46. The oil check shouldhave an overall axial dimension such that whenin the piston ring groove, it will contact the upper and lower walls of the groove under a slight tension.

" Figures 8, 9', 10, 11 and 12 illustrate other embodiments of the present invention. According to the disclosure of these figures; the scallops 33'are adapted to contact-the groove wall 13 throughout their width. According tothe disclosure in Figures 8; 9,10, 11-and 12; the scallops 33 are of wavy'er-oss sectionbeing provided with crests -33a-33a. Between the'crests 33a-33a in each scallop isthe trough =33b, The area of contact 'between'the'scallops' 33 and the groove wall I3 is limited to the lines defining the summits of the crests-33a--33a.* -When-reaction occurs between the groove wa11'I3 and the crests 33a33a distortion occurs in the scallops '33 between said crests and-there is'a minimum of-tendency'to distort the'cylindrical portion 21 of'thering. lying between theregions 25 25. -According'tothe disclosure in Figure'lZ, each 1 scal1op33 is cutaway on the side thereof adjacent to i the slot 24' as indicated by the numeral .34.

'This construction hasLthe advantage that the scallops are weakened to acertain extent, result- "ing in less tendency to distortthe cylindricalportion 2 I. Moreover, this cut-away portion permits the oil to flow more freely.

In the embodiments of the invention illustrated inFigures 8-?12,.radial .compression of the wall of the oil check hasless tendency to increase the axial overall dimension thereof than does such radialcompression inthe embodiment illustrated 7 inFigures 1 to 5. Accordingly the oil checks illustrated in Figures 8-.l2 (as well as that illustrated in Figure 7) should have an overall axial dimension such that when located in the piston .ring groove, it will contact the upper and lower walls 'of the groove with a slight tension.

In mounting any of .theoil checks illustrated in" Figures 7 to 112, in its groove, care should be takento avoid'distortion. or bucklingof the cylindrical portion 2 I. To this. end, in mounting the oil check into a piston ring groove, compressive. force should be applied in an axial direction against the bottom edge 20 of. eachscallop and against the top edge. I 9 at points adjacent to the portions '25. Thisprocedure may be followedprogressively aroundfthe oil, check and any distortion which occurs will be in the scallops and will not throw the upperedge I9 outof aplane surface.

(The. .mode. of ,operation of the various illustrathe wall of the oil check 18 will be decreased in 13- ofthe: groove I2 will: be' permittedyto' pass tions of the; present invention-is isubstantially as follows:

The oil check 18 illustrated in'Figures LPG-will vpreferably have a biased over+allrdimension be- :tween this lower edgeZll andjthis upper edge 19 of a value such'thatthe'oil check will-fit easily but rather closely between the upper wall '14 and the lower wall '15 of. the groove. -When the piston ring lfix-has been inserted and the piston l l is mountedwithin the cylinder wall In,

a radial direction whereby; the dimension between the edge20 at the' regions ofrthe scallops 22-22 and the scallops 22 -22 andthe edge 19 will belengthened, resulting in the firm engage- 'ment of saidedges'with the bottom wall-l5 and the top wall 14, respectively,- of the groove 'l2 and the close engagement of 'thetcylindrical portion El-with the adjacent surface of the'pistonring IS.

The cylindrical portion: 2 i will,- regardless of any play of the piston ring 16 in Jan :axialdirection, act effectively torprevent the .passage'of oilpast the piston ring at the top of said ring and will minimizeloss of compression. Any-oil collecting betweentheoil check" 18 and the wall through the openings 24*24:-(Figures' Zand 4) or the openings -29-+29 (Figure '5) The embodiment illustrated in Figure-Swill, in general, operate similarlyto'that illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

'Thevembodiment illustrated in Figure 7 will also operate similarly to that illustratediriFig- .ures 1' to 5 except that the scal1ops'3i--3l,-being normally approximately cylindrical, will buckle slightly out of cylindrical form when inserted .into the piston ringgroove.

-. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 8, 9,

.10, 11 and 12, "thescallops '33 will also buckle slightly radially but will'preserve their=parallel relationship with the axis of the piston .i i.

: Though certain and-preferred embodiments oi the present invention have been described in detail, many modifications will occur -to those such modifications thatiallwithin the scope. of

skilledin the art. It is intended to cover all the appended claims.

;What is claimed is: '1. In-combination, a cylinder wall; a piston -therein, said piston having an annular groove provided with a circumferential wall and. two diametrical walls, apistonring in said groove,..an annular oiLcheck located. in theannular space between the circumferential wall of said groove and said piston ring, said oil check being resilient and having arr-approximately cylindrical edge. portion adapted to engage said piston ring and a'diametrical-wall ofsaid groove, the opposite edge portion ofsaid annular oil check including circumferentially. spaced parts offset .radially;.- said offset. parts being of bowed. conformationkand being connected at their ends to .the materialof said oil check, said oppositeedge portion of said oil check being positioned to enage. the. other .diametrical wall vof said groove.

2. In combinationra cylinder wall, a piston therein, said piston having anannular groove rovidedwith a circumferential wall. and -two diametrical walls, apiston ring in said groove, an annular. oilcheck located in the annular space between the circumferential wall of .said groove and saidpiston-ring, said oilcheckbeingresilient and having an. approximately cylindrical edge portion adapted to engage said piston ringand a.-diametrical. wall of said groove, theopposite edge portion of said annular oil check including circumferentially spaced parts offset radially, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said opposite edge portion of said oil check being positioned to engage the other diametrical wall of said groove, said oil check being split in its perimeter, the ends of said oil check being outturned.

3. In combination, a piston having a circumferential piston ring groove, a split piston ring in said groove and an annular oil check located in said groove inside of said piston'ring, said oil check comprising a member having an approximately cylindrical portion adapted to engage the top wall of said groove and the adjacent wall of said ring and circumferentially spaced inwardly extending offset resilient portions adapted to engage the circumferential wall and the bottom wall of said groove, said offset portions being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, whereby said oil check is expansible axially of said piston in response to radial compression of the wall of said oil check whereby the edge portions of said oil check will engage firmly against the top and bottom walls of said groove, while the cylindrical portion thereof engages said piston ring.

4. An oil check comprising a ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion thereof being resilient and having circumferentially spaced parts thereof offset inwardly and adapted to engage the circumferential wall and a diametrical wall of a piston ring groove, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, whereby said oil check is expansible axially in response to radial compression of the wall of said oil check, said oil check at said inwardly offset parts having at least as great a height as the over-all axial height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly ofi'set parts are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion the over-all height of said check is increased.

5. An oil check comprising a ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion thereof being resilient and having circumferentially spaced parts thereof offset inwardly and adapted to engage the circumferential wall and a diametrical wall of a piston ring groove, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, whereby said oil check is expansible axially in response to radial compression of the wall of said oil check, said oil check at said inwardly offset parts having at least as great a height as the over-all axial height of said oil check whereby when said inwardly offset parts are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion the over-all height of said check is increased, the region between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion being defined by circumferentially disposed openings.

6. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring member, said ofiset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said member at the regions of said offset parts being provided with circumferentially disposed openings between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check.

'7. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring member, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said member at the regions of said offset parts being provided with circumferentially disposed openings between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being greater in height than at the regions intermediate of said offset parts.

8. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said member at the regions of said offset parts being open between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check, said offset portions normally occupying positions approximately parallel with the axis of said cylindrical portion.

9. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said member at the regions of said offset parts being open between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check, said offset portions having parts normally occupying positions approximately parallel with the axis of said cylindrical portion, each of said ofiset parts having a wavy contour circumferentially of said oil check having crests adapted to contact the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove.

10. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said member at the regions of said offset parts being open between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check, said offset portions normally occupying positions approximately parallel with the axis of said cylindrical portion, each of said offset parts having a wavy contour circumferentially of said oil check having crests adapted to contact the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove, said offset parts being recessed at their tops midway of their peripheral lengths.

11. An oil check comprising a ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion thereof being resilient and having circumferentially spaced parts thereof offset inwardly and adapted to engage the circumferential wall and a diametrical wall of a piston ring groove, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said oil check at said inwardly offset parts having at least as great a height as the overall axial height of said oil check, whereby when said inwardly offset parts are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion the overall height of said oil check is increased, each of said offset parts having a wavy contour circumferentially of said oil check having crests adapted to contact the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove.

12. An oil check comprising a ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion thereof being resilient and having circumferentially spaced parts thereof offset inwardly and adapted to engage the circumferential wall and a diametrical wall of a piston ring groove, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said oil check at said inwardly offset parts having at least as great a height as the overall axial height of said oil check, whereby when said inwardly offset parts are moved toward alignment with said cylindrical portion the overall height of said oil check is increased, the region between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion being defined by circumferentially disposed openings, each of said ofiset parts having a wavy contour circumferentially of said oil check having crests adapted to contact the circumferential wall of the piston ring groove.

13. An oil check comprising a split ring member, one edge portion thereof being approximately cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said member at the regions of said offset parts being open between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being at least equal in height to the axial overall height of said oil check, each of said offset parts having a wavy contour circumferentially of said oil check having crests adapted to contact the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove.

14. An oil check comprising a split ring memher, one edge portion thereof being approximate ly cylindrical, the opposite edge portion being resilient and including spaced parts offset inwardly at regions located about said ring, said offset parts being of bowed conformation and being connected at their ends to the material of said oil check, said member at the regions of said offset parts being open between said offset parts and said cylindrical portion and being greater in height than at the regions intermediate of said offset parts, each of said offset parts having a wavy contour circumferentially of said oil check having crests adapted to contact the circumferential wall of a piston ring groove.

STANLEY S. SLYK.

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